Measurements of Photocathode Operational Lifetimeat Beam Currents up to 10 mA

using an Improved DC High Voltage GaAs Photogun

J. Grames, M. Poelker, P. Adderley, J. Brittian, J. Clark,J. Hansknecht, M. Stutzman, K. Surles-Law

BNL C-A DepartmentFebruary 9, 2007

Goal: Deliver high average current (> 1mA) and high polarization (> 80%) with long photocathode operational lifetime in support of new accelerator initiatives.

Enhance our understanding of photocathode decay mechanism. This will undoubtedly allow us to improve existing polarized guns operating at lower average current and unpolarized guns at milliAmp beam currents (e.g., Lightsources).

• Background• R&D Program • New DC HV Load Lock Gun• Low-P GaAs Studies• High-P GaAs Studies

Purpose & Overview

• CEBAF’s first polarized e-beam experiment 1997

• Now polarized beam experiments comprise ~ 80% of our physics program, in fact, we only deliver polarized electrons

• All beam originates via photoemission from a Gallium Arsenside crystal inside a 100 kV photogun

• 35 weeks of beam delivery per year• 100 A at 85% polarization is fairly routine

• Three experimental areas may simultaneously receive:– high polarization (~85%) => large asymmetry/ figure of merit– continuous wave (499 MHz) => high statistics/ low couting rates– independent intensity (50 pA to 200 A) => target / acceptance– energy selection (multiples of linac energy) => flexibility

CEBAF Polarized e- Source

Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility

ABC

A B C

Pockels cell

100 keV DCElectron Gun

Two SRF 600 MeV linacs(1497 MHz)

67 MeV injector(1497 MHz)

RF deflectors

Double-sided septum

Wien filter

RF Lasers(499 MHz)

PSpin Precession

Degrees of Freedom

Present JLab “Vent/Bake” Polarized Electron Gun

Cathode(GaAs)

NF3

Laser

CeramicInsulator

Cs

Non evaporable getter pumps (NEG)4,000 liter/s pump speed 5E-12 Torr

Anode

e-

NEG coatedbeampipe

-100 kV

P ~ 35 - 40% P ~ 70 – 75 % P ~ 80 - 90 %

GaAs Photocathodes

Bulk GaAs

Strained GaAs

100

nm

100

nm

14 pairs

Bulk GaAs

GaAsP

Bulk GaAs

GaAsP

Unstrained GaAs Strained GaAs Superlattice GaAs

Degeneracy Broken degeneracy,but relaxation

No relaxation,quantum well structure

Beam Polarization at CEBAF

P I 2

P I 2sup.

str.

= 1.38

Experiment Figure of

Merit

Qweak to test standard model>200 A at 85% polarization

Proposed (>1 mA) facilitiesELIC, eRHIC

Future High Current/ High Polarization Projects

~20 C/day Ring <1 C/dayLinac >100 C/day

Data compiled by M. Baylac

CEBAF Gun Charge Lifetime (2001-2004)

QE(q)=QE0∙e(-q/CL)

Charge Lifetime Steadily

Decreasing

NEG replacement Summer 2003

improves lifetime

Photocathode “QE” Lifetime limited by ion back-bombardment.

One photocathode operates for year(s), and multiple activations, usually limited by field emission from the cesiated electrode.

CEBAF Polarized Source

Before heat/activation After heat/activation

laser beam

Ion Back-Bombardment

residual gas

cathode

electron beam OUT

anode

Which ions more problematic?

laser light IN

QE trough toelectrostatic center

Ions accelerated & focused to electrostatic center

We don’t run beam from electrostatic center

Cathode(-100 kV)

Anode(ground)

Strikes beampipe

Strikes gun chamber

Strikes Wien Faceplate(aperture)

• Limit photocathode active area• Eliminate stray light• Large diameter beampipes • NEG coated chambers to limit ESD• Proper electrode geometry• Proper lens configuration

e beam

Strikes anode

Experiment Requires Managing Electron Beam

GaAs wafer…becomes a photocathode

Wafer from vendor

Stalk Mounted

Paradigm Shift (Peggy Style => Load Lock Gun)

Wafer from vendor

Stalk Mounted Puck Mounted

3 Chambers• Load/Hydrogen/Heat• Prepare NEA surface• High Voltage, Good Vacuum

Photocathode Lifetime Test Bed• Low-P bulk GaAs• High QE (15-20%) => mA’s • 200 C/day vs. 10 C/day

BTLLPEG Test Stand (2003-2006)

Improvements limiting the active area

No more hydrogen cleaningStudy one sample without removal

Ion Pump Locations

Improvements to monitor gun & beamline pressure

Ion Pump Locations

Improvements to monitor gun & beamline pressure

Photocathode Lifetime Studies & Operation (2003-2006)

We’ve learned about photocathode lifetime…• vs. gun & beamline pressure (leaks, pumping, gauging)• vs. laser (spot size, position, reflections, power levels)• vs. GaAs preparation (active area, cleaning)• vs. beam handling (optics, orbits, beam losses)We’ve learned about functionality of a Load Lock gun…• Round pucks + gravity = rolling• Manipulator alignment + bake-outs• Activation, heating, cooling• Sensitivity of manipulators to bake temperature• Multiple photocathodes > 1 photocathode

Work mainly presented at workshops & recorded in proceedings…

NEW Load Lock PhotoGun for CEBAF

What’s next (really, now!)…

• Improve gun vacuum, photocathode lifetime

• Load multiple photocathodes with the “suitcase”

• Evolve the technology, i.e., design-out “features”

• Transfer the technology to the CEBAF program

Top View

High VoltageChamber

Suitcase & Load Chamber• Mount wafer on puck in lab• Holds 4 pucks (e.g., bulk, SL, SSL)• Load Lock: 8 hour bake @ 250 C• No H-Cleaning

Beam

Activation Chamber• Manipulators 150 C bake• New & Used puck storage

Docking Chamber & “Suitcase”

High Voltage Chamber • “Side ceramic” design• load chamber at ground potential• No moving parts at HV

Side View

Activation Chamber • Mini-stalk heater• Mask selects active area• UHV IP supplies gauge activation• Keyed & eared pucks

High Voltage Chamber • “Side ceramic” design• load chamber at ground potential• No moving parts at HV

Side View

Activation Chamber • Mini-stalk heater• Mask selects active area• UHV IP supplies gauge activation• Keyed & eared pucks

Outgassing Rates vs. Bakes

0 E+00

1 E-12

2 E-12

3 E-12

4 E-12

5 E-12

6 E-12

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Bake number

Ou

tgas

sin

g R

ate

304SS without (blue) and with (red) electroplishing and vacuum firing

NEG coating(Ti/Zr/V)100 hrs @ 70 C200 L/sec

Improvements to the High Voltage Chamber

304 SS: Electropolished & Vacuum Fired(AVS: 3 hrs @ 900 C @ 3x10-6 T)

• Careful electrode alignment• Lipped to flatten field profile• Bias anode or support• Rear windows view “tee”

New Load Lock Gun Assembled & Running Spring ‘06

Suitcase

Small bake Load region

NEG-coated HV chamber

Heat/activation chamber

(Best Solution – Improve Vacuum, but this is not easy)

Benchmarking Photogun with Operational Lifetime

Bigger laser spot, same # electrons, same # ions

electron beam OUT

residual gas

cathodeIonized residual gas strikes photocathode

anode

laser light IN

Ion damage distributedover larger area

Load lock port(GaAs on puck)

NEG pipe

Laser(1 W @ 532 nm)

& attenuators

Faraday Cup(450 C bake)

High Voltage(-100 kV)

Activation(Cs/NF3,

Mask=5 mm)

Experimental Setup

350 m 1500 m

Spot SizeAdjustment

7 PrecisionIon PumpSupplies

SolenoidCentering

• Run laser power (<1 Watt) PID to fix beam current• Record ion pump current at 7 beam line locations• Record laser power/setpoint via “pickoff” detector

Example Run (5 mA)

1/e Charge Lifetime = Charge Extractedln (QE /QE )i f

Measurements Limited by HV Power Supply

13 mA!

OLD

NEW

NEW vs. OLD Load Lock Design (small laser spot)

Damage ~ (a∙I + b∙I2)

Gun Ion Production ~ Beam Intensity x Gun Pressure ~ (a∙I + b∙I2)

HV Chamber Pressure vs. Beam Intensity

Leakage Current

Pgun = P0 + 4 pA/mA

Sept

July

New UHV

SMALL vs. LARGE Laser Spot (BP vs. LL)

Tough to measure >1000 C lifetimes with 100-200 C runs!

5

15

1500350

2≈ 18

Expectation:

Side-by-Side Comparison of Original/Improved Guns

We have no operational experience operating with superlattice at > 100 A. Surface charge limit. QE droops at higher laser power. Old wafers get tired,

must be replaced.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Sample

[laser/spot]

25 75 125 175 225

Charge Lifetime [C]

2nd Activation

3rd Activation

4th Activation

Superlattice Charge LifetimePhotocathode Aging

The “100 A” 85% Photocathode

High Surface Charge Density Superlattice Photocathodes

(M. Yamamoto, Nagoya University)

Superlattice photocathode:

•Surface <100 nm is GaAs

•Similar doping, e.g., Zinc

•Concern: heat => diffuses dopant

Superlattice Test June ‘05: 1 mA @ 532

Lifetime ~200 C at 1 mA (532 nm)

Brief opportunity to test superlattice photocathode with 532 nm DC laser in the original load lock gun

Ingredients: Good gun, good photocathode, powerful laser

100

nm

Superlattice GaAs: Layers of GaAs on

GaAsP

No strain relaxationQE ~ 0.6%Pol ~ 85%@ 780 nm

chekc14 pairs

Fiber-based LaserNEW Load Lock Gun

Now: High Current & High Polarization

(Was: Ti:Sap)

Superlattice in LL Gun

QE ~ 0.6% @ 780 nm (high-P) QE ~ 10% @ 532 nm (low-P)

Successful activation

We have, so far, only measured poor photocathode lifetime (10’s of C) at low average

current (100 A).

We have just begun…

…to measure how our experience with bulk translates to superlattice:

Bulk (robust)

Band-deep light (532 nm)

DC (peak=ave, no SC)

Superlattice (fragile)

Band-gap light (780 nm)

RF (ps & MHz)

?

Cause & effect is not always obvious, so we will replace the sample, repeat the measurement,

verify the baseline and ... enhance our understanding of photocathode decay

mechanisms.

=> NEW gun charge lifetime 2-3x better; likely vacuum, electrode improvements.

=> Larger laser spot improves charge lifetime, but not simple model prediction.

=> Exceptionally good Charge Lifetime >1000 C at high currents >1mA; in fact, difficult to measure when using large laser spot.

=> Photocathode lifetime measurements at higher (>1 mA) currents using GaAs/GaAsP superlattice, but so far poor lifetime.

=> Install load lock in tunnel in July 2007.

Conclusions